Welding is a fabrication process used to join two components of similar material to one another through the application of heat and a filler material. Welding can be done manually or autonomously via a welding robot. There are many different ways to weld, but most ways fall into two general categories: wire feed welding and stick welding.
When welding a seam to join two components, wire can be fed to the welding sight or a metal stick can be applied to the welding site and melted to form a pool of molten material. The pool of molten material fills the seam and bonds with melted surfaces of the two components as the material and surfaces cool and harden. Ideally, the seam is completely filled with material during welding, such that an outer surface of the welded seam is generally continuous with corresponding surfaces of the two components. However, because the pool of molten material is fluid during welding, the material can spill out of open ends of the seam. When this happens, the outer surface of the welded seam is not continuous with the corresponding surfaces of the two components. This condition can be aesthetically displeasing and/or result in reduced structural integrity.
Historically, mechanical blocks have been provided at the open ends of the seam to prevent the molten pool from spilling out of the seam. The use of mechanical blocks, however, is a labor-intensive process, as the blocks must first be installed prior to welding and then removed after welding is complete. In addition, the mechanical blocks themselves increase a material cost of the welding process.
One attempt to improve seam welding is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2007-237220 of Nobuyoshi et al. (the '220 patent). In particular, the '227 patent describes a welding process wherein a robot welder welds a dam at each open end of a seam. The opposing dams are built to a desired finish height prior to starting the main weld of the seam. In this way, molten material in the seam is blocked by the dams from leaking out of the seam's open ends during welding.
Although the method described in the '227 patent may improve the outer surface quality of a welded seam, it may be less than optimal. Specifically, when welding the dams separate from the main seam weld, the robot welder may have to start and stop welding a greater number of times. And each start and stop during welding has the potential to create inclusions within the weld that reduce a strength of the weld.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the shortcomings set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.